I bear a burning secret, dark yet bright,
A fire trapped beneath a guise of stone;
My spirit wanders in the hush of night,
To worship at a shrine I dare not own.
Our glances meet like lightning through a veil,
A silent speech that only we can hear;
My trembling hands, destined to always fail,
Must keep their distance though you stand so near.
So close to paradise, yet far away,
I drink the bitter wine of endless thirst;
In shadows I must keep my love at bay,
Lest by the speaking, all our bonds should burst.
For I shall mute this song to save your heart,
Within this sweet hell where I choose to dwell;
My soul remains a tomb, set far apart,
Where sleeps the love I never dare to tell.
In the quiet chambers of the heart, some loves are destined to remain unspoken. This piece reflects the Victorian ideal of sublime restraint, where the purity of affection is preserved not by possession, but by the noble tragedy of silence.
